Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Posada’s dream is to wear Puerto Rico’s uniform

Jorge Posada spoke with the Primera Hora newspaper in Puerto Rico, telling them in Spanish that it is his “dream” and would be an “honor” to wear that uniform for the World Baseball Classic. You can read the complete article in Spanish here.

With translation, here’s what Jorge had to say:

“This will be my last chance to play for Puerto Rico and I’m very clear on that. For that reason, I’ll do anything possible to be 100 percent, because it is a dream of mine to wear that uniform.”

Posada did not play in the 2006 WBC and does not seem to believe that he will be around for the 2012 WBC — his four-year, $52.4 million contract runs through 2011.

He says in the interview that he will do his best to be 100 percent, and estimates that he is at about 75 percent right now. Posada is working out in Tampa, Fla. and says he has had no problems hitting or throwing.

I respect Posada’s want to play for his home in the WBC; however, he has a commitment to the Yankees and the fans to play in the best interest of New York. If he were 5 years younger I would love to see him go out there and call the games, but coming off and injury year and being relied on by his team to play 120 games behind the dish he should accept the fact that he should continue rehab.

Moose is a hall of famer. He won’t make it in on the first ballot, maybe not the first 5. But he will make it in eventually, I hope. This is the same group of voters than have held Byleven from his deserved spot in the hall so far.

Bryan, you’re a BB writer (albeit one without a vote, YET!), I’d LOVE to hear what you have to say.

We had a discussion after Moose announced his retirement about his HOF worthiness. I made a case that he DOES deserve to be in there. Others say his career numbers just don’t match up well enough. That the HOF is for dominating, top-of-their-game career players. I disagreed. But let’s take a look at HOW players get elected. Sure, there are the shoe-in’s. First ballot’ers. We can all agree there. But after that, should anyone else be in there? Should a player have have 20 chances to get elected? Jim Rice didn’t get elected in the prior 14 years to the HOF. What happened this year? Did his career numbers change? No. What changed wasn’t his career or the careers of those in the HOF. What changed were those on the ballot at the time. That means, at least to me, that Rice’s numbers weren’t compared to others in the Hall for worthiness, but to others on the ballot. Either you have numbers good enough to get in or you don’t. THAT, IMHO is what dilutes the HOF, not electing someone like Moose.

Absolutely frightening footage on TV of the US Airways jet that went down in the Hudson River this afternoon. Thankfully all survived and are being warmed up after a frigid dip just off the West Side Highway. Remarkable job by the pilot to bring that in for a safe landing.

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